CA2017122C - Method of forming lines of weakness in or grooving a plastic material, especially a packaging material - Google Patents
Method of forming lines of weakness in or grooving a plastic material, especially a packaging materialInfo
- Publication number
- CA2017122C CA2017122C CA002017122A CA2017122A CA2017122C CA 2017122 C CA2017122 C CA 2017122C CA 002017122 A CA002017122 A CA 002017122A CA 2017122 A CA2017122 A CA 2017122A CA 2017122 C CA2017122 C CA 2017122C
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- wavelength
- laser
- packaging material
- grooving
- microns
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Fee Related
Links
- 239000005022 packaging material Substances 0.000 title claims abstract description 21
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 title claims abstract description 18
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 16
- 239000004033 plastic Substances 0.000 title claims abstract description 11
- 229920003023 plastic Polymers 0.000 title claims abstract description 11
- 230000008016 vaporization Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 5
- 230000015556 catabolic process Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 4
- 238000006731 degradation reaction Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 4
- 238000009834 vaporization Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 4
- 238000000862 absorption spectrum Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 3
- 238000010521 absorption reaction Methods 0.000 claims description 22
- 239000011248 coating agent Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- 238000000576 coating method Methods 0.000 claims description 4
- 239000011365 complex material Substances 0.000 claims 3
- 239000002131 composite material Substances 0.000 claims 1
- -1 polypropylene Polymers 0.000 description 9
- 239000004743 Polypropylene Substances 0.000 description 7
- 230000005540 biological transmission Effects 0.000 description 7
- 229920001155 polypropylene Polymers 0.000 description 7
- 230000007704 transition Effects 0.000 description 4
- 230000001419 dependent effect Effects 0.000 description 3
- 229920006267 polyester film Polymers 0.000 description 3
- 229920000139 polyethylene terephthalate Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 239000005020 polyethylene terephthalate Substances 0.000 description 2
- 230000005855 radiation Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000000411 transmission spectrum Methods 0.000 description 2
- 229920000298 Cellophane Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 229920002284 Cellulose triacetate Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 239000004952 Polyamide Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000004698 Polyethylene Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000004793 Polystyrene Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229920001328 Polyvinylidene chloride Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 229920003182 Surlyn® Polymers 0.000 description 1
- NNLVGZFZQQXQNW-ADJNRHBOSA-N [(2r,3r,4s,5r,6s)-4,5-diacetyloxy-3-[(2s,3r,4s,5r,6r)-3,4,5-triacetyloxy-6-(acetyloxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-6-[(2r,3r,4s,5r,6s)-4,5,6-triacetyloxy-2-(acetyloxymethyl)oxan-3-yl]oxyoxan-2-yl]methyl acetate Chemical compound O([C@@H]1O[C@@H]([C@H]([C@H](OC(C)=O)[C@H]1OC(C)=O)O[C@H]1[C@@H]([C@@H](OC(C)=O)[C@H](OC(C)=O)[C@@H](COC(C)=O)O1)OC(C)=O)COC(=O)C)[C@@H]1[C@@H](COC(C)=O)O[C@@H](OC(C)=O)[C@H](OC(C)=O)[C@H]1OC(C)=O NNLVGZFZQQXQNW-ADJNRHBOSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 239000000853 adhesive Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000001070 adhesive effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000005030 aluminium foil Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000012943 hotmelt Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000004922 lacquer Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229920002647 polyamide Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 229920000728 polyester Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 229920000573 polyethylene Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 229920002223 polystyrene Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 229920000915 polyvinyl chloride Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 239000004800 polyvinyl chloride Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000005033 polyvinylidene chloride Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000001993 wax Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000003313 weakening effect Effects 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C59/00—Surface shaping of articles, e.g. embossing; Apparatus therefor
- B29C59/007—Forming single grooves or ribs, e.g. tear lines, weak spots
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B23K—SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
- B23K2103/00—Materials to be soldered, welded or cut
- B23K2103/30—Organic material
- B23K2103/42—Plastics
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B23K—SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
- B23K2103/00—Materials to be soldered, welded or cut
- B23K2103/50—Inorganic material, e.g. metals, not provided for in B23K2103/02 – B23K2103/26
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C35/00—Heating, cooling or curing, e.g. crosslinking or vulcanising; Apparatus therefor
- B29C35/02—Heating or curing, e.g. crosslinking or vulcanizing during moulding, e.g. in a mould
- B29C35/08—Heating or curing, e.g. crosslinking or vulcanizing during moulding, e.g. in a mould by wave energy or particle radiation
- B29C35/0805—Heating or curing, e.g. crosslinking or vulcanizing during moulding, e.g. in a mould by wave energy or particle radiation using electromagnetic radiation
- B29C2035/0838—Heating or curing, e.g. crosslinking or vulcanizing during moulding, e.g. in a mould by wave energy or particle radiation using electromagnetic radiation using laser
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C2791/00—Shaping characteristics in general
- B29C2791/004—Shaping under special conditions
- B29C2791/009—Using laser
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C37/00—Component parts, details, accessories or auxiliary operations, not covered by group B29C33/00 or B29C35/00
- B29C37/0053—Moulding articles characterised by the shape of the surface, e.g. ribs, high polish
- B29C37/0057—Moulding single grooves or ribs, e.g. tear lines
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C65/00—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor
- B29C65/02—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor by heating, with or without pressure
- B29C65/14—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor by heating, with or without pressure using wave energy, i.e. electromagnetic radiation, or particle radiation
- B29C65/16—Laser beams
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41M—PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING
- B41M5/00—Duplicating or marking methods; Sheet materials for use therein
- B41M5/24—Ablative recording, e.g. by burning marks; Spark recording
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41M—PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING
- B41M5/00—Duplicating or marking methods; Sheet materials for use therein
- B41M5/26—Thermography ; Marking by high energetic means, e.g. laser otherwise than by burning, and characterised by the material used
- B41M5/267—Marking of plastic artifacts, e.g. with laser
Abstract
A method of forming lines of weakness in or grooving a plastic material, especially a packaging material, by local vaporization or degradation by means of a laser beam, which laser beam and which plastic or packaging material can be moved in relation to each other, wherein the laser beam is generated by means of a wavelength tunable laser tuned to a wavelength selected on the basis of the wavelength depending absorption spectrum of the material to be processed.
Description
Title: A method of forming lines of weakness in or grooving a plastic material, especially a packaging material.
This invention relates to a method of forming lines of weakness in a plastic material, especially a packaging material, by local vaporization or degradation by means of a laser beam, which laser beam and which plastic or packaging material can be moved in relation to each other. This method can also be used to groove a plastic material.
Such a method is known from U.S. patent 3,909,S82. The laser beam is provided by a stationary CO2 laser conventional for industrial applications, which CO2 laser provides radiant energy at a constant wavelength of 10.6 microns. ~he packaging material is passed under the laser beam, with the rate of movement and consequently the processing speed being determined substantially by the radiation absorption capacity of the packaging material to be processed. This radiation absorption capacity is a property of materials which may have greatly varying values in different materials. A high absorption capacity means that the radiant energy supplied -to the material is converted substantially into a weakening of materials by a form of energy effecting vaporization or degradation, e.g. heat. As a result, the processing speed of these materials is high. A low absorption capacity gives a low processing speed which in some packaging materials is so low that, in practice, it is difficult to form lines of weakness therein with the conventional CO2 laser.
The objec-t of this invention is to increase the processing speed of packaging materials or to enhance the I~J ~ 'J
processability of a series of materials that are difficult -to weaken with a laser.
The method of the invention is characterized in that the laser beam is generated by means of a wavelength tunable laser tuned to a wavelength selected on the basis of the wavelength dependent absorption spectrum of the material to be processed. Preferably, the wavelength is selected in such a manner that the product of the laser efficiency and the absorption value of the packaging material is highest at that selected wavelength.
The method of the invention will hereinbelow be illustrated with reference to the drawings and examples. In the drawings:
Fig. 1 is a graph in which the power supplied by a tunable CO2 laser is plotted against the wavelength;
Fig. 2 is the wavelength power table belonging to Fig. 1 for the CO2 isotope c120216;
Fig. 3 is the transmission spectrum of a polypropylene film; and Fig. 4 is -the transmission spectrum of a polyester film.
Wavelenath tunable CO~ lasers Such lasers are known per se. To date, they are used for scientific research. The range of operation of this type 25 of CO2 laser is between the wavelengths of 8.9-11.4 microns.
By, e.g., rotating a diffraction grating placed at the end of the laser tube, the laser can be tuned to a certain wavelength within the above-indicated range. Not all wavelengths give laser ac~ion, and the power supplied by the laser depends on the selected wavelength. For a conventional C02 isotope -C120216- it was found that there were 80 transitions or wavelengths distributed over four ranges 9R, 9P, lOR and lOP
(see Fig. 1) in which laser action occurs. The power supplied by the laser or the efficiency depends on the wavelength.
Shown in Table I (Fig. 2) are for a 60W C02 laser for the ranges 9R-lOP the different transitions (column A) as well as the associate wavelengths in microns (column B), the reciprocal values thereof (column C), the power supplied (column D), and the efficiency (column E). As shown in Table I, the peaks of the ranges 9R, 9P, lOR and lOP are not at the same level, as shown in Fig. 1 for the sake of convenience.
When the C02 laser is filled with another isotope, e.g., C130216 or c12o218, there proves to be a shift of the ranges 9R-lOP with laser action within the wavelength range 8.9-11.4 microns, as shown in Fig. 1. At a wavelength of 10.6 20 microns a C02 laser with isotope C120216 is found ~o supply a m~l mllm power, the laser action at that wavelength being low for the .isotope C120213 and even non-existent for the isotope Absorp-tlon capacity of packaging material Example I
U.S. patent 3,909,582 discloses tha-t different packaging materials have absorption capacities different from r~
each other for radiant energy having a wavelength of 10.6 microns. This absorption capacity is a measure of the processing speed when forming lines of weakness with a conventional untunable CO2 laser (wavelength of 10.6 microns).
When packaging material is examined by means of an infrared spectrometer, the absorption capacity is found to depend strongly on the wavelength.
In Fig. 3 the curve of the transmission value (%~ is plotted against the wavelength for a polypropylene film having 10 a thickness of 20 microns. At the wavelength of 10.6 microns the transmission value is +84%. Of the radiant energy supplied to the polypropylene film, 84% are found to pass through -the material, only 16% of the energy supplied are partly reflected and partly absorbed in the polypropylene film. The amount of lS reflected energy can also be determined by means of an infrared spectrometer and varies within the wavelength range of 8.9~ microns between 0 and 10%. Only +11% of the energy supplied remains for absorption in the film. Consequently, the forming of lines of weakness in such a polypropylene film wi~h a conventional CO2 laser ls a difficult and slow process.
The graph of Fig. 3 further shows two minima for the -transmission value, namely 10.02 and 10.28 microns. The transmission value is then +41% and the absorption value 100%-(41%-~5%)~+54% or a factor of 5 greater than at the wavelength of 10.6 microns. If radiant energy having a wavelength of 10.02 or 10.28 microns is available, then -the processability of the polypropylene film will be considerably increased.
Fig. 1 and Table 1 show that for the wavelength of 10.28 microns with a tunable CO2 laser (isotope cl20216) a transi-tion having a good efficiency (+85%) is available, but for the wavelength of 10.02 microns no laser action occurs, unless another gas fill (isotope C13O216) is selected.
Example II
In Fig. 4 the curve of the transmission value (%) is plotted against the wavelength for a polyester film (PET = polyethylene terephthalate) having a thickness of 12 microns. At a wavelength of 10.6 microns the transmission value is +75%, so the absorption value is low. The transmission value graph shows three minima, namely at 9.81, 10.29, and 9.2-9.3 microns. The Table (Fig. 2) shows that at the wavelength of 10.28 microns the laser can supply a power of 49W. At the wavelength of 9.81 microns there is little or no laser action, while in the wavelength range of 9.2-9.3 microns several transitions can be selected with a high power supplied by the laser. Consequently, for processing the polyester film it is better to select the wavelength of 9.2-9.3 microns, because the product of laser efficiency x absorption value is higher at this wavelength than at the wavelength of 9.81 microns.
Examples I and II show what advantages can be obtained by using a tunable CO2 laser to form lines of weakness in packaging materials in the form of a single film. Many packa~ing materials, however, are of complex composition and are composed of one or more layers of paper, cellophane, aluminium foil, polyethylene, polypropylene, cellulose triacetate, polyester, polyamides, PVC, PVDC, surlyn, polystyrene, with different layers being bonded toge-ther by means of adhesive, lacquer, plastic, wax, hot melt, and the like.
With these packaging materials of complex composition, the method of the invention offers the advantage that the tunable CO2 laser is allowed to function at a wavelength at which one or more specific layers of the material are just vaporized or just not.
On the basis of this prlnciple of ~ust vaporizing or just not, tunable CO2 and other types of lasers o-ffer great advantages for the process of grooving signs in a coating applied to a carrier film. The laser is tuned to a wavelength at which the coating is processed but the carrier film is not affected.
The tunable CO2 laser and also other tunable laser types offer great advantages for the process of grooving or applying marks in plastic products other than those in the form of a fiLm which usually have a considerably greater thickness than the packaging materials in the form of a filrn.
The absorption value of such products is usually 100% in view of their thickness, i.e. all the laser energy is absorbed in the product or, in other words, energy transmission takes place beyond the processing depth. With such products, not the wavelength dependent absorption value but the absorption value per unit of rnaterial thickness or the absorption constant ~see f~
U.S. patent 3,909,582 - Table I) should be taken as the starting point. This absorption constant is usually wavelength dependent too. In that case the tunable C02 or ancther type of laser is tuned as described above to such a wavelength that the combination of laser efficiency and absorption constant is highest for obtaining a maximum processing speed.
This invention relates to a method of forming lines of weakness in a plastic material, especially a packaging material, by local vaporization or degradation by means of a laser beam, which laser beam and which plastic or packaging material can be moved in relation to each other. This method can also be used to groove a plastic material.
Such a method is known from U.S. patent 3,909,S82. The laser beam is provided by a stationary CO2 laser conventional for industrial applications, which CO2 laser provides radiant energy at a constant wavelength of 10.6 microns. ~he packaging material is passed under the laser beam, with the rate of movement and consequently the processing speed being determined substantially by the radiation absorption capacity of the packaging material to be processed. This radiation absorption capacity is a property of materials which may have greatly varying values in different materials. A high absorption capacity means that the radiant energy supplied -to the material is converted substantially into a weakening of materials by a form of energy effecting vaporization or degradation, e.g. heat. As a result, the processing speed of these materials is high. A low absorption capacity gives a low processing speed which in some packaging materials is so low that, in practice, it is difficult to form lines of weakness therein with the conventional CO2 laser.
The objec-t of this invention is to increase the processing speed of packaging materials or to enhance the I~J ~ 'J
processability of a series of materials that are difficult -to weaken with a laser.
The method of the invention is characterized in that the laser beam is generated by means of a wavelength tunable laser tuned to a wavelength selected on the basis of the wavelength dependent absorption spectrum of the material to be processed. Preferably, the wavelength is selected in such a manner that the product of the laser efficiency and the absorption value of the packaging material is highest at that selected wavelength.
The method of the invention will hereinbelow be illustrated with reference to the drawings and examples. In the drawings:
Fig. 1 is a graph in which the power supplied by a tunable CO2 laser is plotted against the wavelength;
Fig. 2 is the wavelength power table belonging to Fig. 1 for the CO2 isotope c120216;
Fig. 3 is the transmission spectrum of a polypropylene film; and Fig. 4 is -the transmission spectrum of a polyester film.
Wavelenath tunable CO~ lasers Such lasers are known per se. To date, they are used for scientific research. The range of operation of this type 25 of CO2 laser is between the wavelengths of 8.9-11.4 microns.
By, e.g., rotating a diffraction grating placed at the end of the laser tube, the laser can be tuned to a certain wavelength within the above-indicated range. Not all wavelengths give laser ac~ion, and the power supplied by the laser depends on the selected wavelength. For a conventional C02 isotope -C120216- it was found that there were 80 transitions or wavelengths distributed over four ranges 9R, 9P, lOR and lOP
(see Fig. 1) in which laser action occurs. The power supplied by the laser or the efficiency depends on the wavelength.
Shown in Table I (Fig. 2) are for a 60W C02 laser for the ranges 9R-lOP the different transitions (column A) as well as the associate wavelengths in microns (column B), the reciprocal values thereof (column C), the power supplied (column D), and the efficiency (column E). As shown in Table I, the peaks of the ranges 9R, 9P, lOR and lOP are not at the same level, as shown in Fig. 1 for the sake of convenience.
When the C02 laser is filled with another isotope, e.g., C130216 or c12o218, there proves to be a shift of the ranges 9R-lOP with laser action within the wavelength range 8.9-11.4 microns, as shown in Fig. 1. At a wavelength of 10.6 20 microns a C02 laser with isotope C120216 is found ~o supply a m~l mllm power, the laser action at that wavelength being low for the .isotope C120213 and even non-existent for the isotope Absorp-tlon capacity of packaging material Example I
U.S. patent 3,909,582 discloses tha-t different packaging materials have absorption capacities different from r~
each other for radiant energy having a wavelength of 10.6 microns. This absorption capacity is a measure of the processing speed when forming lines of weakness with a conventional untunable CO2 laser (wavelength of 10.6 microns).
When packaging material is examined by means of an infrared spectrometer, the absorption capacity is found to depend strongly on the wavelength.
In Fig. 3 the curve of the transmission value (%~ is plotted against the wavelength for a polypropylene film having 10 a thickness of 20 microns. At the wavelength of 10.6 microns the transmission value is +84%. Of the radiant energy supplied to the polypropylene film, 84% are found to pass through -the material, only 16% of the energy supplied are partly reflected and partly absorbed in the polypropylene film. The amount of lS reflected energy can also be determined by means of an infrared spectrometer and varies within the wavelength range of 8.9~ microns between 0 and 10%. Only +11% of the energy supplied remains for absorption in the film. Consequently, the forming of lines of weakness in such a polypropylene film wi~h a conventional CO2 laser ls a difficult and slow process.
The graph of Fig. 3 further shows two minima for the -transmission value, namely 10.02 and 10.28 microns. The transmission value is then +41% and the absorption value 100%-(41%-~5%)~+54% or a factor of 5 greater than at the wavelength of 10.6 microns. If radiant energy having a wavelength of 10.02 or 10.28 microns is available, then -the processability of the polypropylene film will be considerably increased.
Fig. 1 and Table 1 show that for the wavelength of 10.28 microns with a tunable CO2 laser (isotope cl20216) a transi-tion having a good efficiency (+85%) is available, but for the wavelength of 10.02 microns no laser action occurs, unless another gas fill (isotope C13O216) is selected.
Example II
In Fig. 4 the curve of the transmission value (%) is plotted against the wavelength for a polyester film (PET = polyethylene terephthalate) having a thickness of 12 microns. At a wavelength of 10.6 microns the transmission value is +75%, so the absorption value is low. The transmission value graph shows three minima, namely at 9.81, 10.29, and 9.2-9.3 microns. The Table (Fig. 2) shows that at the wavelength of 10.28 microns the laser can supply a power of 49W. At the wavelength of 9.81 microns there is little or no laser action, while in the wavelength range of 9.2-9.3 microns several transitions can be selected with a high power supplied by the laser. Consequently, for processing the polyester film it is better to select the wavelength of 9.2-9.3 microns, because the product of laser efficiency x absorption value is higher at this wavelength than at the wavelength of 9.81 microns.
Examples I and II show what advantages can be obtained by using a tunable CO2 laser to form lines of weakness in packaging materials in the form of a single film. Many packa~ing materials, however, are of complex composition and are composed of one or more layers of paper, cellophane, aluminium foil, polyethylene, polypropylene, cellulose triacetate, polyester, polyamides, PVC, PVDC, surlyn, polystyrene, with different layers being bonded toge-ther by means of adhesive, lacquer, plastic, wax, hot melt, and the like.
With these packaging materials of complex composition, the method of the invention offers the advantage that the tunable CO2 laser is allowed to function at a wavelength at which one or more specific layers of the material are just vaporized or just not.
On the basis of this prlnciple of ~ust vaporizing or just not, tunable CO2 and other types of lasers o-ffer great advantages for the process of grooving signs in a coating applied to a carrier film. The laser is tuned to a wavelength at which the coating is processed but the carrier film is not affected.
The tunable CO2 laser and also other tunable laser types offer great advantages for the process of grooving or applying marks in plastic products other than those in the form of a fiLm which usually have a considerably greater thickness than the packaging materials in the form of a filrn.
The absorption value of such products is usually 100% in view of their thickness, i.e. all the laser energy is absorbed in the product or, in other words, energy transmission takes place beyond the processing depth. With such products, not the wavelength dependent absorption value but the absorption value per unit of rnaterial thickness or the absorption constant ~see f~
U.S. patent 3,909,582 - Table I) should be taken as the starting point. This absorption constant is usually wavelength dependent too. In that case the tunable C02 or ancther type of laser is tuned as described above to such a wavelength that the combination of laser efficiency and absorption constant is highest for obtaining a maximum processing speed.
Claims (4)
1. A method of forming lines of weakness in or grooving a plastic material, especially a packaging material, by local vaporization or degradation by means of a laser beam, which laser beam and which plastic or packaging material can be moved in relation to each other, characterized in that the laser beam is generated by means of a wavelength tunable laser tuned to a wavelength selected on the basis of the wavelength depending absorption spectrum of the material to be processed.
2. A method of claim 1, characterized in that the laser is tuned to a wavelength at which the product of the laser efficiency and the absorption value of the packaging material is highest at that wavelength.
3. A method of claim 1 in which the packaging material is composed of different layers of a composite complex material, characterized in that the tunable laser is tuned to a wavelength having a low absorption value for that layer of the complex material which has to remain practically unaffected when other layers are weakened.
4. A grooving method of claim 3, characterized in that the complex material is composed of a carrier film and a coating applied thereto, the laser being tuned to a wavelength having a high absorption value for the coating and a low absorption value for the carrier film.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| NL8901257A NL8901257A (en) | 1989-05-19 | 1989-05-19 | METHOD FOR APPLYING WEIGHT LINES IN RESP. ENGRAVING OF PLASTIC MATERIAL, IN PARTICULAR PACKAGING MATERIAL. |
| NL8901257 | 1989-05-19 |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2017122A1 CA2017122A1 (en) | 1990-11-19 |
| CA2017122C true CA2017122C (en) | 1997-11-25 |
Family
ID=19854677
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002017122A Expired - Fee Related CA2017122C (en) | 1989-05-19 | 1990-05-18 | Method of forming lines of weakness in or grooving a plastic material, especially a packaging material |
Country Status (11)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| US (1) | US5010231A (en) |
| EP (1) | EP0398447B1 (en) |
| JP (1) | JP2898701B2 (en) |
| AT (1) | ATE156747T1 (en) |
| AU (1) | AU629706B2 (en) |
| CA (1) | CA2017122C (en) |
| DE (1) | DE69031242T2 (en) |
| DK (1) | DK0398447T3 (en) |
| ES (1) | ES2106016T3 (en) |
| GR (1) | GR3024962T3 (en) |
| NL (1) | NL8901257A (en) |
Families Citing this family (49)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPH0483637A (en) * | 1990-07-26 | 1992-03-17 | Du Pont Mitsui Polychem Co Ltd | Manufacture of cylindrical member for paper container |
| DE4113714A1 (en) * | 1991-04-26 | 1992-10-29 | Hoechst Ag | DRAWN PACKAGING WITH INTEGRATED TARGET BREAKAGE POINTS AND METHOD FOR THEIR PRODUCTION |
| US5267959A (en) * | 1991-11-29 | 1993-12-07 | Schneider, Inc. | Laser bonding of angioplasty balloon catheters |
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-
1989
- 1989-05-19 NL NL8901257A patent/NL8901257A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
-
1990
- 1990-05-17 US US07/525,246 patent/US5010231A/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 1990-05-18 CA CA002017122A patent/CA2017122C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 1990-05-18 EP EP90201256A patent/EP0398447B1/en not_active Revoked
- 1990-05-18 DK DK90201256.6T patent/DK0398447T3/en active
- 1990-05-18 AT AT90201256T patent/ATE156747T1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 1990-05-18 DE DE69031242T patent/DE69031242T2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 1990-05-18 ES ES90201256T patent/ES2106016T3/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1990-05-19 JP JP2130097A patent/JP2898701B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 1990-11-20 AU AU66791/90A patent/AU629706B2/en not_active Ceased
-
1997
- 1997-10-09 GR GR970402601T patent/GR3024962T3/en unknown
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| AU629706B2 (en) | 1992-10-08 |
| JPH035091A (en) | 1991-01-10 |
| CA2017122A1 (en) | 1990-11-19 |
| ES2106016T3 (en) | 1997-11-01 |
| EP0398447B1 (en) | 1997-08-13 |
| GR3024962T3 (en) | 1998-01-30 |
| EP0398447A3 (en) | 1992-04-22 |
| DE69031242D1 (en) | 1997-09-18 |
| JP2898701B2 (en) | 1999-06-02 |
| DK0398447T3 (en) | 1997-09-01 |
| DE69031242T2 (en) | 1998-03-19 |
| US5010231A (en) | 1991-04-23 |
| ATE156747T1 (en) | 1997-08-15 |
| AU6679190A (en) | 1992-06-11 |
| EP0398447A2 (en) | 1990-11-22 |
| NL8901257A (en) | 1990-12-17 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
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| EEER | Examination request | ||
| MKLA | Lapsed |